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Business leaders once again call for an end to unrest

Star Business Report
Businesspeople yesterday once again appealed to the political leaders to end the political impasse without further delay, as their losses are inching towards unsustainable levels with every passing day.
The move comes after the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry yesterday gathered business leaders from different sectors at its headquarters to hear their opinions ahead of the association's planned countrywide rally on February 8.
"We are in the perishable goods business - we cannot stock the imported goods like onion, garlic, fruits and ginger for a long time. They are now rotting at different land ports," said Sadhan Chandra Das, president of Bangladesh Fresh Fruit Importers Association.
A frustrated Das also complained
about the abnormal rise in truck fares, which has made it difficult for them to transport the perishables to the warehouses and the dealers.
Echoing the views of Das, Bangladesh Restaurant Owners Association President Anwar Hossain Mirdha said sales in the country's 55,000 restaurants declined by more than 70 percent since the beginning of the blockades and shutdowns from January 6.
Selim Mia, president of Bangladesh Ponno Paribahan Agency Malik Samity, a platform of basic commodities transporters, said so far 16 trucks have been burnt by arsonists, due to which truckers are now reluctant to ply the highways.
Ali Zaman, president of Small and Medium Enterprises Owners' Association of Bangladesh, said the shop owners have been passing through a very hard time as sales have declined substantially.
Even during such a bad time the
revenue officials harass the small shop owners for value-added tax.
Small fishermen have been losing almost everything, as the blockade nearly derailed the transportation of fish vans, said Rafiqul Islam Sabuj, a small fish trader.
The housing business has already suffered losses of millions of taka for the blockade and shutdowns, said Liakat Ali Bhuiyan Milon, acting president of Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh.
He suggested the FBCCI leaders bring out a procession of businessmen at Mirpur in Dhaka at night to encourage the businessmen of greater Mirpur areas to keep theirshops open.
"We can also bring out a big procession from Dhaka to Comilla or Chittagong so that the common people know the blockades are not any barriers for transportation of goods and people," Milon said.
At the meeting, FBCCI President Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed said it is very difficult to say at this moment whether the association will lobby with the political leaders for holding dialogues.
The political leaders do not even want to give the association leaders any appointment slot, he said.
“If it is possible to obtain appointments with the political leaders I will definitely ask them
for holding dialogues to resolve the crisis."
Ahmed suggested the businessmen from across the country to bring out a rally carrying national flags with slogans such as 'the country is above all1, 'save the country, save the economy', 'we want security of lives and assets', 'we want businessfriendly environment'.
About 3.5 crore people are expected to participate in countrywide rallies to be organised by FBCCI on February 8,
demanding an end to the current political impasse that is weighing on business.
Businessmen will gather in front of the FBCCI office in Dhaka and all district chambers from 12pm to 12:15pm.
The national anthem will be played during the rallies and the businessmen will send separate memoranda to the president, the prime minister and the BNP chairperson after the event, FBCCI said in a statement.